Image forming apparatus

Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus including separating members in a conveyance direction of sheets conveyed from a paper tray, the separating members being configured to separate the sheets one by one. The separating members include an upward regulating member configured to regulate a central part of a sheet in a width direction in a manner that the central part of the sheet points upward, and downward regulating members on both sides of the upward regulating member, the downward regulating members each being configured to regulate both ends of the sheet in the width direction in a manner that both ends of the sheet point downward. A position of an upper end of the upward regulating member is higher than a position of a lower end of each downward regulating member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 separating members in a conveyance direction of sheets conveyed from a paper tray, the separating members being configured to separate the sheets one by one, 
 wherein the separating members include
 an upward regulating member configured to regulate a central part of a sheet in a width direction in a manner that the central part of the sheet points upward, and 
 downward regulating members on both sides of the upward regulating member, the downward regulating members each being configured to regulate both ends of the sheet in the width direction in a manner that both ends of the sheet point downward, 
 
 wherein a position of an upper end of the upward regulating member is higher than a position of a lower end of each downward regulating member, and 
 wherein the upper end of the upward regulating member is positioned in a more upstream conveyance direction of the sheet than a tip of each downward regulating member is. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member transform the sheet into an upward convex shape when the sheet passes between the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member. 
 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member are installed in a manner that the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member are capable of changing a curvature of the sheet that passes between the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member. 
 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member are installed in a manner that the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member are movable in at least one of a height direction and the width direction of the sheet. 
 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the upward regulating member and each downward regulating member are symmetrically arranged with respect to a center in the width direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the upward regulating member includes an inclined plane that each sheet conveyed from the paper tray abuts, and 
 wherein the inclined plane slopes up in the conveyance direction of the sheet.